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Feb. 7, 1956 J. E. WAGNER BOAT PROPULSION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1952 James E. Wagner INVEN TOR. Y wk. B a

A Um "qr Feb. 7, 1956 J. E. WAGNER BOAT PROPULSION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1952 James E. Wagner INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,733,680 BOAT PROPULSION MEANS James E. Wagner, Shawnee, Okla. Application March 12, 1952, Serial No. 276,119 2 Claims. (Cl. 115-25) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in devices for propelling small boats, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a manually actuated propelling means of the character herein described, which may be conveniently and effectively employed for the purpose above set forth.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient and dependable operation, and in its adaptability for installation on small boats of different types.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is top plan view of a boat having the invention installed thereon;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the paddle members used in the invention, the same being illustrated in its folded position; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to that shown in Figure 4, but illustrating the paddle member in its open position.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a boat propulsion apparatus com prising a pair of bearing blocks 10, mounted by suitable brackets 12 at the gunwale portion of the opposite sides of a boat 14, the bearing blocks having rotatably journalled therein horizontal portions 16 of a pair of downwardly extending arms 18.

The lower end of each of the arms 18 is provided with an extension shaft 20 carrying a hinge member 22 on which are swingably mounted by interfitting hinge ears 24 a pair of flat paddles 26. These paddles are swingable from a substantially juxtaposed position, shown in Figure 4 to a substantially coplanar position, shown in Figure 5, and a stop pin 28, carried by the extension shaft 20, is disposed between and abutted by the paddles 26 in their folded or juxtaposed position, so as to limit the folding movement of the paddles. Similarly, pairs of laterally projecting stop pins 30 are carried by the extension shaft 20 to limit the outward swinging movement of the paddles 26 to their substantially coplanar position.

The arms 18 and paddles 26 are so arranged that when the arms are in their forwardly swung position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the paddles 26 are substantially folded, but when the arms 18 are swung rearwardly, water pressure against the paddles causes them to open to their substantially co-planar position so that rearward swinging movement of the arms 18, through the medium of the open, co-planar paddles, may propel the boat forwardly.

Means are provided for imparting oscillatory movement to the arms 18, these means consisting of a pair of pulleys 30 which are secured to the inner end regions of the arm portions 16 and are operatively connected by endless belts 32 to drive pulleys 34.

The pulleys 34 are rotatably mounted on suitable shafts 36 journalled in bearing blocks 38, and each of the pulleys 34 has secured thereto, by welding, or the like, a lever or arm 40.

A pair of oscillatory levers 42 are swingably mounted at 44 in the forward portion of the boat and are provided with suitable foot pedals 46, so that they may be actuated by an occupant of a seat 48 in the boat, as will be readily understood.

The levers 42 are operatively connected by flexible elements or cables 50 to the arms 40, and suitable tension springs 52, anchored to the boat at 54 and connected to the arms 40, are employed for returning the paddle carrying arms 18 to their forwardly swung position.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. In a boat propelling device, the combination of a bearing block adapted to be attached to the gunwale of a boat, an angulated arm journaled for forward and rearward oscillatory movement in said block and extending downwardly therefrom, a hinge pin provided on the lower portion of said arm in parallel rearwardly offset relation thereto, a pair of paddles mounted on said hinge pin and swingable from a substantially juxtaposed position rearwardly of the arm to a substantially co-planar position at the opposite sides of the arm, a stop member on said arm curving downwardly and rearwardly between said paddles and limiting swinging of said paddles into juxtaposed position, transverse stop pins on the rear of said arm for limiting the swinging movement of said paddles and establishing their coplanar relation, and means for oscillating said arm operatively connected to said arm, said hinge pin including an elongated rod having angulated end portions, said end portions being secured directly to said arm and confining said paddles on said hinge pin.

2. In a boat propelling device, a foot lever adapted to be pivotally mounted on the bottom of a boat, bearing members having anchoring means attachable to the bottom of a boat and spaced from said lever, a driving pulley journaled on said bearing members, a bearing block having anchoring means attachable to the gunwale of a boat above said driving pulley, an angulated arm journaled for oscillatory movement in said block and extending downwardly therefrom and having a paddle attached thereto, a driven pulley secured to the inner end of said arm, an endless belt entrained over said pulleys, a crank arm extending radially from said driving pulley, means connecting said crank arm and the other end of said lever whereby movement of the crank arm oscillates the driving pulley, and resilient means connected to said crank arm and attachable to a boat to exert tension against said crank arm, said connecting means, and said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 143,270 Beekman Sept. 30, 1873 358,170 Smith Feb. 22, 1887 514,489 McCloskey Feb. 13, 1894 1,424,044 Solack July 25, 1922 1,737,899 Taylor Dec. 3, 1929 1,914,901 Thompson June 20, 1933 2,525,349 Gulley Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 78,465 Norway Apr. 23, 1951 

